


Come Not Between the Dragon

by Anzieizna



Series: Short stories [2]
Category: Original Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2020-03-09 07:31:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18912388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anzieizna/pseuds/Anzieizna
Summary: Quick story about a dragon being the good one. Wanted to continue it but got bored, so sorry if it ends abruptly.





	Come Not Between the Dragon

Once upon a time, in a land of myth and an era of magic, a tiny princess was born. She was beautiful – she had curly brown hair the colour of melted chocolate, with green eyes that glowed like the sun. The entire castle fell in love with her in a single night, maids and manservants alike cooing into the cot and rocking the child in their arms.

The King and Queen called her Elodie.

Little Elodie could light up the world with a slanted grin, and even the Gods would bow to see her blush. The kingdom celebrated her birth, and a festival took place, and soon everyone in the lands of Elysia knew of the baby. 

Not all were so happy, however. A species of fairies called the Vanada resented the young Elodie, for they wanted one of their own kind on the throne. They would not tolerate the new princess.

They approached the King and Queen and demanded they retreat their throne otherwise they would curse the child. The royals did not listen, and instead threatened the Vanada to leave. The fairies did, but not before charming one of the maids to kill the new-born. When faced with the task, however, the woman could not do it, and was killed in a rage when the Vanada discovered the princess was still alive.

They knew no-one else would do their bidding. Left hopeless, the fairies resorted to laying the curse upon the child: her eyes died and she was left blind, crying out to her mother and father in confusion for her loss of sight.

The King and Queen were devastated. The Vanada came once more and said they would not release the child from the curse if they didn’t give up their titles. The kingdom refused, and instead killed the fairies. Whatever satisfaction it brought did not matter, as now they had no idea how to bring the new-born’s sight back. The King and Queen read every book they could find but located no cure – only a rumour that true love could break any spell, even this one. They decided to hide their daughter away in a tower in fear of the Vanada coming back for her, praying that one day Elodie’s saviour would break her curse.

Knights set out in purchase of the princess, only to discover she had gained protection. A dragon bigger than an entire building loomed over the tower, fighting off anyone who thought they could take the princess. The King and Queen despaired but believed the knight who could kill the dragon would be the man who deserved their treasured Elodie.

But, this story does not belong to the princess. She plays an important role in this tale, but this story is about her saviour – about the creature that protected her, that vowed his life to her own, that would do anything to keep her happy.

The dragon.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Princess Elodie! I have come to rescue you!”

Khivalon had to resist a snort as he stared at the knight. Despite the bright red armour and the big frown on his face, the so-called ‘rescuer’ looked like he couldn’t knock a grasshopper over.

“My name is Knight Ignave! The foul beast that keeps you trapped in your tower will fall under my sword! I will save you, my love, you can trust me.” The speck on the ground flashed his sword around as if he was intimidating, then began to run towards the bridge.

Khivalon sighed as he leaned over the battlements, guessing he had a few minutes before the knight reached the other side of the shaky bridge and started climbing the walls. He watched as the man clung to the rope by his side, his shield shaking in his grasp as he dropped his sword into the river. He skittered from one rope to the other, crying loudly when the entire bridge titled to the side.

Khivalon couldn’t resist rolling his eyes. All these knights coming here and claiming they were the ones destined to save Lady Elodie got boring after a while, even if Khivalon enjoyed the chase. The shield held the image of a tree with swords and axes growing from its branches, coloured in various colours of grey and white. The Kingdom of Avare, Khivalon thought. I’d wondered when they’d try again.

“So, what’s this one like?”

The dragon jumped in his place before relaxing, turning to face his princess. Elodie walked from the shelter of the tower, joining Khivalon on his place in the battlements. She leaned against the walls, her face holding the same expression as if she was talking about the weather.

“Young,” Khivalon commented, joining Elodie as she pointed her head towards where the grunts were coming from. The Avare Knight had gotten his leg caught between one of the planks and was using the shield to try to gain freedom.

“Let me guess – he already dropped his sword.” Elodie sighed, exasperated.

Khivalon nodded. “Not even half-way across the bridge and he shook it too hard. It tumbled into the river.”

Elodie grinned, turning to her dragon. “Well, he’s certainly skilful.”

“He called you his love.”

Elodie gagged, shaking her curly brown hair wildly. The locks only got more tangled at the action and she whined, dragging a hand through the jungle on her head. She pouted. “You don’t suppose Mr. Eager has a brush on him, do you?”

Khivalon snorted, sparks of ember flying from his nose. “Something makes me think he doesn’t.”

Elodie laughed, quirking her eyebrows at her friend before she turned back to the knight. Slowly her expression changed into something more wistful, and Khivalon felt his heart freeze. She probably didn’t know she was doing it – how could she? – but Khivalon still shifted uncomfortably in his place. He coughed harshly, trying to bury the sting of hurt as he shook his wings gently.

“If the bridge is anything to go buy, I think it’s safe to say the guy is as brave as a chipmunk.” Khivalon forced a chuckle and the weight in his chest lessened when Elodie laughed, her joyful expression returning to her face.

“Yeah, alright.” The girl sighed heavily, fidgeting against the stone walls. “You can chase him off. And at least try not to set his hair on fire,” she chided, pointing a long finger in the dragon’s direction. Khivalon huffed grudgingly. What happened to the Amadán Knight wasn’t his fault – the man just walked into his fire, that’s all!

Khivalon took off with a great heave, his wings flapping loudly and sending great wind to ruffle the trees. The Knight on the bridge looked up in alarm, falling on his back when he saw the black shape in the sky. The dragon dove sharply, heading straight for the knight, who scrambled up and launched himself the rest of the way across the bridge. He reached the tower and began running around it, desperate to get away from the dragon. Khivalon, however, continued to follow him, lowering his jaws as they began to flare up. The Avare Knight glanced over his shoulder and shrieked, tripping over his own feet as he saw the fire rise in the dragon’s mouth.

He managed to get up just as Khivalon fully opened his mouth, breathing fire above the knight. The man dived into the fast-moving river, and Khivalon watched as he flailed helplessly, hitting his head on the bottom of the bridge as he was swept past it.

The dragon observed as the Knight grew smaller and smaller until he couldn’t see him over the water, then flew back to the battlements, where he was greeted with a stone-faced human, her arms crossed on her chest.

“What?”

Elodie snorted, raising an eyebrow. “You let that man jump into the river, didn’t you?”

Khivalon shrugged despite knowing Elodie wouldn’t see it, his head dipping slightly. It scared him, sometimes, how well the human knew him, but he guessed that’s what happened when you spent nineteen years living with someone. “The river grows shallow further down the line,” he reassured the girl. “He’ll be fine. Besides, I didn’t actually hurt him. The fire was just for show.”

Elodie scoffed but knew better than to contradict. Whilst it was sometimes hard to watch the men get chased away, she knew Khivalon would never actually hurt anyone – not unless she asked him to, and she didn’t despise these knights enough to want them dead.

She titled her head towards the bottom of the tower. “You know he’ll be back, right? He won’t give up that easily.”

The dragon nodded with a resigned sigh. “I give it a day or two. Besides, it wasn’t all without gain,” Khivalon said, eyes drifting to the grass under them. Elodie cocked her eyebrows, ever curious.

Khivalon took off without warning, careful not to hit the girl over the head with his wings – he’d done that once and she hadn’t forgotten it for an entire week – and drifted to the river. He picked up the sword that had washed up on the grass and curled his talons around it. The dragon dropped the weapon before the girl, who tapped it with her feet.

“What is it?” She asked impatiently.

“A sword, the one the Knight dropped,” Khivalon said, puffing his chest in pride. “I’d noticed your other had begun to blunt. Figured I couldn’t leave my princess alone without protection.”

Elodie snorted. “Say ‘my princess’ one more time, and I’ll use the sword to take off your head.” She leant down and felt until she found the handle, placing a strong grip on the blade as she touched the side of the sword.

It was then that Khivalon realised that, bar the weapon, Elodie’s hands were empty. “Where’s your cane?” He demanded.

Elodie’s face twisted as thought she’d been sucking a lemon. “I don’t need it,” she mumbled. Khivalon opened his mouth, lengths of curses on his tongue but the girl spoke before he could. “I know this tower like the back of my hand, Khivalon. Some stairs aren’t going to kill me.”

“You don’t know that,” Khivalon growled. “What if you tripped and I wasn’t around?”

“I’d be fine,” Elodie insisted. She shook her head and huffed, her tongue pressing against her cheek. She gave the dragon a cold look. “I’m kind of tired of you treating me like I’m five years old. I can handle myself just as well as you can.”

“You’re blind, Elodie!” 

Elodie flinched and Khivalon faltered in his steed, throat dry as a hurt look was painted across his friend’s face. “Ellie, that’s not what I meant. I just meant th-that I worry, and…”

Elodie scoffed bitterly. “Don’t.” 

Without another word she turned, her fingers tight around the sword, and stalked off towards the tower walls, her steps heavy and steady.

Khivalon sighed. He knew better than anyone that the princess could take care of herself, and that wasn’t why he was behaving the way he was. It was because time was running out. The knights that ventured to the tower were getting more skilled and more aggressive, and Khivalon grew tired to fighting them off.

He didn’t want Elodie to leave – his father had left him, turned his back on his own son, and he thought he’d be alone for the rest of his life. Then he found Elodie, and hope returned.

Elodie was the only family he had left – his father abandoned him, he never knew his mother, and other dragons despised him for reasons that were beyond his knowledge. If Elodie left, he’d have nothing left. Nothing to protect, to make laugh, to keep company. He’d have no home – because despite spending all his life in this tower, he barely even fit inside it. The only reason he stuck around was because Elodie had nowhere else to go.

Khivalon wanted the human to stay, but he knew it was cruel. She was not an animal that was meant to be trapped. Elodie deserved to find her true love, to have the curse broken, to explore the world on her own terms. Khivalon wanted her to be happy, but his heart tore at the thought of her being happy without him.

The time was coming, and there was nothing he could do about it. All Khivalon knew was that he had to make the best of what time they had left.

**Author's Note:**

> Title from the Shakespeare quote, "Come not between the dragon, and his wrath."
> 
> Some quick research notes:  
> Elysium was an afterlife reserved for gods, but I think I twisted the word into elysian, which is also related to a word meaning beautiful, creative, and perfect.  
> ‘Ignave’ is coward in Latin  
> ‘Avare’ is French for miser – someone who is greedy about money  
> ‘Amadán’ is Irish for ‘fool’


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